Penelope, the mythical character from Homer’s The Odyssey, is waiting for her husband Odysseus to return from war. In this film adaptation, set in a mythic time and space, with contemporary influences and attitudes, Penelope is both archetype and human being. She wanders alone through the halls of her castle, each room a different memory. In these rooms she has visions of her husband, as past, present and future become indistinguishable from each other. Her visions are an escape from the loneliness of the present and increasingly dislocate her from the world around her: the companionship of her maidservants and the feasting mythical suitors who have gathered in her halls. If Bill Viola and Peter Greenaway had an illegitimate love child, it would be Penelope. Stylistic and contemplative - the lavish settings and rich cinematography provide a transcendent situation for the spectator to live this artwork. |
